MEDP vs. WST: Medpace vs. West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) are both classified in the Life Sciences Tools & Services sub-industry within the broader Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Profile Item	MEDP	WST
Name	Medpace Holdings, Inc.	West Pharmaceutical Services Inc.
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Health Care
GICS Industry Group	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS Industry	Life Sciences Tools & Services	Life Sciences Tools & Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Life Sciences Tools & Services	Life Sciences Tools & Services
Market Capitalization	18.27 billion USD	27.85 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	NYSE
Listing Date	August 11, 2016	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

MEDP

WST

GSPC

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	MEDP	WST
Total Return (1Y)	13.29%	51.68%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	35.26%	7.13%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	24.49%	0.05%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

MEDP

WST

GSPC

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	MEDP	WST
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	44.16%	31.45%
Beta (5Y)	1.10	1.13
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-42.87%	-59.29%
Avg. Volume (3M)	258.39K	603.86K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

MEDP and WST are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	MEDP	WST
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.20	1.51
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.26	2.35

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Medpace (MEDP) at 117.88% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 21.23% also sits in the top quartile.

MEDP

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

117.88%

MEDP: 117.88%
Max: 109.18%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

21.23%

Max: 109.18%
WST: 21.23%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Medpace (MEDP) at 18.24% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 18.81% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.

MEDP

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

18.24%

MEDP: 18.24%
Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

18.81%

WST: 18.81%
Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Medpace (MEDP) at 23.12% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 25.37% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

MEDP

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

23.12%

Max: 83.12%
MEDP: 23.12%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

25.37%

Max: 83.12%
WST: 25.37%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	MEDP	WST
ROE (TTM)	117.88%	21.23%
ROA (TTM)	18.71%	11.89%
Net Margin (TTM)	18.24%	18.81%
Operating Margin (TTM)	23.12%	25.37%
Gross Margin (TTM)	72.24%	37.59%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Medpace (MEDP) at 19.97% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 6.25% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Medpace (MEDP) at 20.98% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 1.49% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	MEDP	WST
Revenue Growth (YoY)	19.97%	6.25%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	20.12%	2.12%
EPS Growth (YoY)	20.98%	1.49%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	28.04%	-4.23%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 2.82 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Medpace (MEDP) at 0.83 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for MEDP.

MEDP

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.83

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
MEDP: 0.83
Min: 0.10

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.82

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
WST: 2.82
Q1: 2.47
Min: 0.10

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Medpace (MEDP) at 0.29 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.11 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

MEDP

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.29

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
MEDP: 0.29
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.11

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
WST: 0.11
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	MEDP	WST
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.83	2.82
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.29	0.11
Net Debt / EBITDA	-0.84	-0.16

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Medpace (MEDP) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports a yield of 0.22%, ranking against industry peers normally.

MEDP

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

MEDP: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.22%

WST: 0.22%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Medpace (MEDP) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports a payout of 9.88%, ranking against industry peers normally.

MEDP

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

MEDP: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

9.88%

WST: 9.88%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	MEDP	WST
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.22%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	9.88%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Medpace (MEDP) at 36.26 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 44.87 sits in the richer quartile — WST needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

MEDP

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

36.26

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
MEDP: 36.26
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

44.87

Max: 85.34
WST: 44.87
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Medpace (MEDP) at 6.44 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 8.20 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

MEDP

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

6.44

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
MEDP: 6.44
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

8.20

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
WST: 8.20
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 9.40 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Medpace (MEDP) at 31.23 prices even higher, above its industry range.

MEDP

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

31.23

MEDP: 31.23
Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

9.40

Max: 13.53
WST: 9.40
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

Medpace (MEDP) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Medpace (MEDP) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	MEDP	WST
P/E Ratio (TTM)	36.26	44.87
P/S Ratio (TTM)	6.44	8.20
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	31.23	9.40
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	2.72%	1.24%